Now, I've been getting upgrades since forever, and apparently, they no longer support that. When I try to install my CS6, and I enter my SN, I get the "could not find a qualifying product on your computer" message. I've reinstalled CS3 and have the SN for that, but even though it is a valid number, I get the non-qualifying message again.

I tried "contacting" Adobe after hours of scouring their site for help. I finally made it to the "chat" option, which is grayed out and not available, even though it says "Chat - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week". Perhaps, but not with me.

Apparently, I need to have my SN "unlocked" but I cannot talk to anyone or chat with anyone to have them do that.

Sorry to hear about the lack of tech support Johanna - been in that boat with different services and it is beyond frustrating dealing with the runaround these 'outsourced customer service' give you.

Maybe this number listed on the GetHuman site might help (this looks to be for Adobe given the comments listed and the average wait time for the phone number listed is 3 minutes at the corporate center call hours
https://gethuman.com/phone-number/Adobe-Systems

E-mail might be another option:

(https://helpx.adobe.com/tech-comm-suite/customer-support.html from webpage: Contact the Adobe Tech Comm support team by email at tcssup@adobe.com )

Don't get mad at me, but your best bet may be to finally give in and buy the 10-bucks-a-month photographer CC package. Both Penny and I are using it now and it's really nice watching the updates and fixes flow in seamlessly. PSCC is a significantly better product now than the CS6 you have in so many ways...

I could not find anything that cold replace PS, even though I use just a fraction of what can do...
Just as Bear_Music said for US$10/months for both is hard to beat. Don't get me wrong, took me a long while to decide to sign up for it...

I'll mount another assault on Adobe tomorrow. I'm really resisting the CC, Bear. It's the principle of the thing.

The *peinciple* of the thing is perfectly reasonable as far as I'm concerned. Realistically, keeping Photoshop up to date has cost me at least a 100 bucks a year on average over the years I've owned it, I'm sure of that. 10 bucks a month is painless, and they are constantly improving the program, it's been a terrific experience. But I guess you're stubborn? Heck, I *know* you're stubborn :-)

And then, the day I miss a payment because of one reason or another, I don't have access to my files....

And when they change the rules or raise the price, or do anything unilaterally that I cannot fight, and there is no other option...?

The thing of it is, if they're not going to support the legacy versions, and if you can't get support, or anything else, then why don't they allow you to install it? Why all the contortionist product keys. etc.?

Sorry to hear about the lack of tech support Johanna - been in that boat with different services and it is beyond frustrating dealing with the runaround these 'outsourced customer service' give you.

Maybe this number listed on the GetHuman site might help (this looks to be for Adobe given the comments listed and the average wait time for the phone number listed is 3 minutes at the corporate center call hours
https://gethuman.com/phone-number/Adobe-Systems

E-mail might be another option:

(https://helpx.adobe.com/tech-comm-suite/customer-support.html from webpage: Contact the Adobe Tech Comm support team by email at tcssup@adobe.com )

Sorry to hear about the lack of tech support Johanna - been in that boat with different services and it is beyond frustrating dealing with the runaround these 'outsourced customer service' give you.

Maybe this number listed on the GetHuman site might help (this looks to be for Adobe given the comments listed and the average wait time for the phone number listed is 3 minutes at the corporate center call hours
https://gethuman.com/phone-number/Adobe-Systems

E-mail might be another option:

(https://helpx.adobe.com/tech-comm-suite/customer-support.html from webpage: Contact the Adobe Tech Comm support team by email at tcssup@adobe.com )

Hope you can get someone there to help you.

I'll report back :) Thanks

Looking at email address "tcssup@adobe.com", I dont think you will get any better help, as far as I know the folks over there are of no use. They just follow the scripts anything goes off, they say, we dont know or will never respond :D

I could not find anything that cold replace PS, even though I use just a fraction of what can do...
Just as Bear_Music said for US$10/months for both is hard to beat. Don't get me wrong, took me a long while to decide to sign up for it...

+1

When 500px added the Adobe L/R-CC package to their membership for just $3pm extra, that's when my principles took a hike.

You know, the subscription model not only costs the monthly fee, but also the cost of constantly upgrading hardware and operating systems and internet access -- something a large proportion of the population (or at least one person I know of!) simply can't afford. If I wanted to use the current version of PS I'd have to spend at least several hundred dollars replacing otherwise-working equipment.

FWIW I do most of my editing in PS 5.0 (appropriately code-named "Strange Cargo"), released May, 1988 ...

You know, the subscription model not only costs the monthly fee, but also the cost of constantly upgrading hardware and operating systems and internet access -- something a large proportion of the population (or at least one person I know of!) simply can't afford. If I wanted to use the current version of PS I'd have to spend at least several hundred dollars replacing otherwise-working equipment.

FWIW I do most of my editing in PS 5.0 (appropriately code-named "Strange Cargo"), released May, 1988 ...

AFAIK you don't have to upgrade if they surpass your hardware capabilities. I stay several releases behind sometimes because of the way each new release seems to break something. I don't know at what point what you have might stop working even if you're paying the fee, but like I said you've got 5 years of monthly fees before you even hit the break even on Ps, and another year to add the Lr component. Chances are your computer will give up the ghost before then.